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Nerevic Religion and Culture
Nerevic culture, and the faith that is practiced by almost all within the Empire, is almost unique to the region. Dominated for centuries by Quel'Doran rule, the Humans and Half-Dwarves of the northern lands of Yantir nonetheless developed a particular culture and form of worship, much of which was dedicated to the Lady of Candles, and Ancestor Worship. After the great campaigns of Saint Nerev, this culture blossomed, the power of the Temple of the Lady grew, and the practice of Invocation became a central tenet of the new Empire. Faith The Lady of Candles and Ancestor Worship Primarily, the people of the Nerevic Empire worship The Lady Of Candles. Rather than seeing her as a grim portent of death and a harsh ender of life, as many do elsewhere on Tolas, the people of the Nerevic Empire take the inverse view. They see The Lady Of Candles as not only protecting the one true law of the universe - death, but by extension as a provider of life to the mortals of Tolas. In their view, The Lady Of Candles is the arbiter on the lifespan of each mortal, but is also the giver of life in the first place, a gift the Nerevic Empire sees as worthy of eternal praise and worship. While other Gods, Spirits and Outsiders tend to the whims and wishes of living mortals during their brief time, The Lady Of Candles guards the sanctity of that time itself, and its inevitable end. Because of this focus on limited time and inevitable death, the Nerevic peoples practice Ancestor Worship intensely. Every body is cremated, and the ashes placed carefully within the family tomb, where they may rest with their brethren and ancestors. Ancestor's Tombs are cleaned and filled with incense, and the deeds of notable ancestors are carefully preserved in scrolls, songs and stories to their descendants. By revering the heroic or noteworthy deeds of particular ancestors, the Nerevic peoples likewise revere their ancestor's use of their Lady's gift. The Saints Out of this intense reverence for notable ancestors came the phenomenon of the Saints and Invocation, which began with the passing of Saint Nerev. Following the death of General Nerev, the peoples he had led into battle against Quel'Doran fell into mourning. Cremating his body and revering him as with other ancestors, Nerev was interred in a great tomb within Nereva, the city founded in his honour. Months passed, then years, as cults of worship, warrior societies and even scholarly circles formed to study the life and works of the great leader. It became slowly evident, first through rumour and stories, then through public display, that those who studied Nerev and followed his teachings could Invoke his spirit, or essence, to aid them. True, supernatural Invocation was rare, but those who succeeded found they could fight longer and harder, inspire courage in others, and gain mastery over any of Nerev's favoured weapons, especially the glaive. Witnessing these miracles, the people of the Nerevic Empire declared Nerev the First Saint. Soon after, the feats of Saint Oreth and Saint Morn followed, and with their successful invocations following their deaths, the tradition was firmly established, and the scripture surrounded Sainthood, Invocation and the proper use of both blossomed. Thus far there have been six different Saints in Nerevic history, as well as Sarotha, the disputed Saint. These are outlined below, The Temple In a society that places great political importance on sainthood, devotion and ancestor worship, the Nerevic Temple is a political institution as much as a religious one. Founded in Orethi before the Empire even existed, the Nerevic Temple's primary devotion is to the Lady of Candles. Believing her to be the giver of life to mortals, the Temple worships her through sermons, rituals and offerings, but never sacrifice. A step below the Lady of Candles are the Saints. In Temple scripture, the Saints have been chosen by the Lady to help and guide mortals, and are individually worshiped by their own cults, though all this worship takes place within Temple boundaries. The Invocation and worship of Saints is often as regulated as any offerings to the Lady herself, if not more so. As breeders and distributors of the Ayem, the Temple holds considerable sway over many minor noble families and wealthy merchants, who all seek to gain a Writ of the Lady, which guarantees an Ayem for every child the family produces, so long as the Writ is kept. Naturally, this leads families to push some of their children into Temple professions, hoping to curry enough favour politically and religiously to obtain or renew a Writ. These Writs are kept in the Temple Vaults, guarded below the Grand Fane in the capital, Nereva. The Ayem The tradition of implanting Ayem was first practiced among the Dwarves of Marand but later spread throughout the Nerevic Empire by the work of Saint Velas The Crowned. By 700 LN, the Ayem had become a symbol of wealthy and piety in the Empire. In any given city, up to 40% of inhabitants could be implanted, so great is its prevalence. As such, the Ayem has also become a symbol of the Empire as a whole, and many abroad recognise citizens of the Empire by their unusual headdresses and elaborate horns, often reacting with jealousy or disgust. The Armigers Nerev's Chosen, Morn's Soldiers, Oreth's Cured, Delym's Enforcers. These are but a few names given to the Armigers, or created themselves. Acting as a force under the joint control of the Temple and the Houses, the Armigers are the elite fighting force in the empire, trained continuously in a wide variety of disciplines including stealth, magic, tactics, command, scouting, and decreasingly, psionics. While their reputation as investigators and inquisitors is renowned, in fact the Armigers are usually kept stationed in the major cities, a potent force to be called on in times of conflict, but also keepers of the peace on a daily basis. In rural areas of the Empire, a person might live without ever seeing an Armiger, while in areas of tension such as Sadrith, they are an everyday sight. Due to their split loyalty between the Temple and the Houses, they are seen as a balancing force in the Empire, making sure neither institution becomes to powerful. However, due to their education by the Temple, and the fact that many Armigers are created from the ranks of the Temple itself, they usually have a strong religious ethos, believing firmly in the teachings of the Saints and the Lady of Candles. This ethos does nothing to blunt their resolve, however, and for many Armigers their acceptance mortality and death through the worship of the Lady of Candles only makes them more efficient fighters. Category:Yantir